User-driven data network communication system and method

ABSTRACT

A system is disclosed for messaging over a data network, such as the Internet and interactive TV, which allows every registered user to generate and update one or more user portfolio(s) containing information relative to Providers and/or individuals of which the user is willing to view their messages. The messages are displayed inside the space of the webpage where usually banners are shown. The system may provide benefits to the user upon displaying messages with commercial value to him. The disclosed messaging system allows an easy and effective communication path between providers and users any time publicly or privately in the banner area of a web site, which does not occupy additional space on the user&#39;s browser, and does not require the user to load another application besides his browser.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to data networks. More particularly, theinvention relates to a user-driven communication system and method,which is useful for the direct communication of a services and goodsprovider with an Internet surfer, an Internet surfer with other surfersor interactive television (iTV) users.

The invention enables a surfer and/or an iTV user to influence, fully orin part, the advertising space content to which he is exposed whilesurfing the internet and/or using iTV.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Marketing over the Internet is a very large business. Many efforts andlarge sums are spent on advertising to surfers and keeping contact withclients. This is done in many ways, including the posting of banners,the pushing of advertisement in the form of web pages, such as HyperText Markup Language (HTML) pages, and the redirecting of surfers tospecific sites in affiliates programs, and e-mail marketing of text orHTML pages.

The Internet community has begun to realize that some of the existingadvertising schemes lack efficiency for a variety of reasons, all ofwhich are rooted in the lack of interest of the surfer toward a largemajority of the advertisements shown to him. The art has tried to solvethis problem in many ways. For instance, pay-for-click schemes have beenimplemented, which pay the surfer for viewing an advertisement. Analternative approach is to attempt to determine the surfer's interests,by presenting him with information relating to issues found in web-sitesthat he has visited. However, all the prior art methods have notsucceeded in overcoming the problem of decreasing attention of thesurfer toward advertisements.

One approach to the personalization of the advertisements directed to aspecific surfer provides for the learning of the surfing habits of asurfer. Such systems follow the surfer, learn his interests by acquiringdata on the web-sites visited, and deduce therefrom potential userpreferences. Advertisements are then displayed selectively to thesurfer, based on such deducted preferences. These methods are of lowefficiency, however, since not always a site visited is visited becauseof a voluntary interest of the surfer, and also because the deduction ofthe surfer's preferences is often incorrect. The result is that there isonly a slight improvement, if any, in the interest taken by the surferin the advertisements being shown to him.

A similar method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,933,811, in which thesurfers are required to fill-in a profile, containing personalinformation which is then used to decide which advertisements to displayto him. This system, as other prior art systems, are all based on theassumption that it is possible in this way to improve the correlationbetween the advertisements sent to the user and his actual preferences.This assumption has, so far, not produced sufficiently improved results.None of the prior art methods has provided a method by which the user isthe one who requests messages from specific vendors to be shown to him,which is an aim of the present invention, as opposed to the methodsdescribed above in which the system decides what and when to show tohim.

Advertising methods on iTV via a cable television operator, or directbroadcast satellite TV are similar to the advertising methods that weredescribed hereinabove in accordance to the Internet, therefore all theabove drawbacks applies to iTV as well.

Many methods have been provided in the art for the communication betweendifferent surfers. In this context, communication is intended to relateto communication during surfing and/or using iTV, and not to messagingmethods which are not browser related, such as e-mail. The existingmethods are limited to either billboards, in which one surfer can leavemessages on a web site for every surfer to see, or chats of varioustypes, in which a surfer can communicate on-line with one or moredifferent surfers. Chat rooms often provide privacy options, that permittwo surfers to carry out a private conversation. However, the art has sofar failed to provide an efficient method by means of which a surfer maycommunicate off-line (or on-line) with another surfer, in a privatemanner, via their browsers, without the need to access a chat room orsimilar web-site.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide individualcommunication methods and systems that overcome the problems of theprior art, and which allow an easy and effective communication to takeplace between a service or goods provider and a surfer.

It is another purpose of this invention is to provide individualcommunication methods and systems for permitting off-line (as well ason-line) communication between surfers, using their web browsers,without the need to employ additional systems, such as e-mailapplications.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a user-drivenadvertisement method and system which increases the effectiveness ofadvertisements that reach the user. Furthermore, where an ISP or portalhas the choice of showing a surfer a number of banners, it will choosethose banners desired by the surfer. In this way, undesired banners willnot be shown to him, or the number of those will be reduced.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a system in which theuser has control over the messages shown to him, to the extent that hemay decide to block access to him through his portfolio, temporarily orpermanently, at any time, simply by changing parameters in hisportfolio, the nature of which will be explained below.

Another object of the invention is to allow advertisers to send personalmarketing messages, the cost of which depends on “the value” of eachsegment of consumers receiving the messages, and allowing them to pay adifferent amount of money for the exposure of each group of consumers toa different advertisement.

A further object of the invention, is to create a mechanism that allowscommercial companies to pay for the content that each of their different“valued” customers is receiving for free from content providers.

Other purposes and advantages of this invention will appear as thedescription proceeds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to a method for messaging over a data network,comprising the steps of:

-   -   i) providing an Administration Server (AS) in which user        portfolios are stored, said AS being in communication with a        terminal belonging to a user;    -   ii) allowing every registered user to generate and update one or        more user portfolio(s) containing information relative to        Providers and/or individuals the messages of which the user is        willing to view; and    -   iii) displaying to one or more users on their terminal messages        according to the information contained in the user portfolio.

If the messages have a commercial value, the method further comprisesthe steps of:

-   -   iv) providing benefit(s) to the user for messages displayed to        him; and    -   v) debiting the Provider for messages displayed to said one or        more users.

Throughout this specification, everything that is said with reference toproviders applies. Mutatis mutandis, also to portals, and the skilledperson will easily appreciate the changes in procedures required when aportal is involved in the distribution of the messages, and the relatedappartitioning of revenues.

Preferably, the data network is the Internet. However, as will beappreciated by the skilled person, any other wide area network canexploit the invention, such as a cable television network, and theinvention is therefore not limited to be used in any particularenvironment or communication protocol.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the messages are displayed ina space of a web page belonging to a portal or web site, in whichbanners are normally displayed or destined to be displayed. This, aswill be apparent to the skilled person, greatly increases the attentionof the surfer to the advertisement and banner areas.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention theinformation contained in the user's portfolio comprises an indication ofa viewing priority for each Provider. According to still anotherpreferred embodiment of the invention the message comprises anadvertisement.

The terminal can be any device with Internet connectivity or with anyother digital media connectivity, e.g., a Personal Computer (PC), ahand-held device, a cellular telephone or a TV set or equipmentconnected thereto. The advertisement should preferably be in a form thatcan be viewed on a graphical, textual or audio and/or video applicationwhich enables to view messages on the Internet or the like network, andshould more preferably be in a form that can be viewed on a web browserpage.

A preferred embodiment of the invention provides for the attachment ofstart and end dates before and after which the message cannot bedisplayed, to messages to be displayed. Furthermore, differential valuesfor the displaying to specific customers or groups of customers can alsobe attached.

In another aspect, the invention is also directed to a system formessaging over a data network, particularly the Internet, comprising:

-   -   i) an Administration Server (AS) provided with storage means in        which user portfolios are stored,    -   ii) a terminal belonging to a user, said terminal being in        communication with said AS;    -   iii) means for allowing every registered user to generate and        update user portfolios containing information relative to the        Providers and the individuals the messages of which the user is        willing to receive while exposed to digital media; and    -   iv) display means associated with the user's terminal, for        displaying to said one or more users messages according to the        information contained in the user portfolio.

If the messages displayed have a commercial value, meaning that theprovider may be willing to pay the user for displaying to him themessages, the system may further comprise:

-   e) means for providing benefits to the user for advertisements    displayed to him; and-   f) means for debiting the Provider for advertisements displayed to    said one or more users.

The system may further comprise an additional server, said additionalserver comprising means for generating messages. The additional servercan be, e.g., a Rich Media Campaign Server (RMCS).

The invention also encompasses a method for communicating between two ormore users of a data network, particularly of the Internet, comprisingthe steps of:

-   -   i) providing an Administration Server (AS) in which user        portfolios are stored, said AS being in communication with a        terminal belonging to a user;    -   ii) allowing every registered user to generate and update a user        portfolio containing information relative to surfers the        messages originating from whom or which the user is willing to        view; and    -   iii) displaying to one or more users on their terminal messages        according to the information contained in the user portfolio.

All the elements described above with reference to the method apply alsoto the system, and are therefore not described again in detail, for thesake of brevity.

The user can be recognized in any suitable way. According to aparticular embodiment of the invention, the user is recognized by savinga cookie on his terminal. This may be convenient, e.g., when the useraccesses the AS system from a temporary terminal, such as a publicterminal, in which the user logs-in into his portfolio, and requeststhat the browser from which he is temporarily surfing be identified asbelonging to him for a limited period of time, whereby a “temporarycookie” is stored or kept on said temporary terminal. The user may thenvoid the cookie by actively logging-out of the system.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the systemcomprises means for notifying the AS of the current identity of theperson who is surfing from a computer at a given time. Said means maycomprise, for instance, an external client, embedded sources orsubroutines, ActiveX controls (wherein ActiveX is software modules thatenables a program to add functionality by calling ready-made componentsthat blend in and appear as normal parts of the program), or suitablebrowser plug-ins or components.

The system of the invention may function as a stand aloneperson-to-person communication system not connected to an advertisingmessaging system, and does not necessarily have to be connected to aserver that provides advertising services, although it may be convenientin many cases to do so.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic general view of a system according to a preferredembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 1B is a schematic general view of a system according to anotherpreferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2A is an example of a registration procedure according to apreferred embodiment of the invention, where the user adds companies tohis personal portfolio, which procedure may include an active requestfrom companies to send him messages, and authorizing the companies tosend him messages.

FIG. 2B is an example of a registration procedure according to anotherpreferred embodiment of the invention, where registration is carried outat a the web site of a company;

FIG. 2C is an example of a registration process and the addition of acompany using a browser plug-in;

FIG. 3 is an example of a user's portfolio, according to a preferredembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow-chart illustrating a payment procedure;

FIG. 5 is a user's table displaying data from the AS database, showingthe details of banners that the user is scheduled to see;

FIG. 6 shows examples of messages that can be transmitted from one userto another over the system of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a list of a user's contacts in the AS system;

FIG. 8 shows how the portfolio of a user is changed, according to apreferred embodiment of the invention, on a terminal used by more thanone user; and

FIG. 9 illustrates how a user can forward a personal message that he hasreceived via the AS, to another recipient.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Throughout this specification, the following definitions are employed:

-   -   Cookie: in the context of this invention, any technological way        to identify the device the user is using such as browsers        cookies, plug-ins, native applications CPU, TV set-top box,        unique codes, a constant Internet Protocol (IP) address of a        mobile phone, etc.    -   Message Sender: another surfer or a company to which the user is        registered;    -   Surfer: a user of a suitable connection program, such as a        browser program, connected to the web via any suitable        peripheral, such as a computer, a cellular phone, a cable TV,        etc., also referred to as “user”, “consumer” or “customer”;    -   Terminal: Any suitable connection apparatus, including but not        limited to computers, cellular phones, cable TV, etc.;    -   Portal: A content provider; or a cable operator or an AD Network        of electronic devices;    -   AS (Administration Server): The server that operates the system        of the invention, which contains data relative to all the users'        portfolio, and additional programs and utilities, for example,        the interfaces that enable the user to edit his portfolio, a        database of the content provided by the providers, the billing        system, an interface for the portals ad servers. The AS may        physically be one or a plurality of servers, which may be        physically located at the same or at different locations on the        net. Furthermore, parallel work of a plurality of ASs is also        possible;    -   Company: any entity that can be included in a user's list and        which can send advertising material to him, including but not        limited to, commercial companies, non-profit organizations,        governmental agencies, private persons, etc.    -   Provider: a supplier of services and/or of goods, including but        not limited to commercial companies selling goods or services,        governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, political        organizations, and the like.    -   Banner: any type of information or message, graphical or        textual, that can be retrieved and usually viewed by any        suitable viewing program, such as a web browser, a mobile        telephone browser, a television browser, etc., including but not        limited to, prior art banners, any form of Interactive Marketing        Units (IMU) recommended by the Internet Advertising Bureau        (IAB), HTML pages, messages generated in situ by downloadables,        such as Java applets or ActiveX elements, cellular phone text        messages, cellular phones video advertisements, interactive TV        (iTV) banners or full screen commercials, SMS messages full or        in parts, etc.    -   Advertisement: any type of information that a Provider wishes to        bring to the attention of a surfer, including but not limited        to, advertising material, product information, news, personal        messages, interactive movies through the web, advertising movies        in interactive TV, etc.    -   AD server: A server that chooses and controls the advertisements        appearing in the content that is being served, or connected to        another analytical server that instruct it what to present. It        is important to mention that AS can be connected to one or more        AD servers for providing them messages relevant to their        surfers.    -   Portfolio: A list of providers or surfers authorized to send        messages to the user via an AS server, upon verification by the        AS server that the sender is an authorized sender.    -   Rich Media Campaign Server (RMCS): A server used by a        provider/sender to send messages to registered users.

Looking now at FIG. 1A, a system according to a preferred embodiment ofthe invention is shown, in simplified form. The system comprises fourbasic entities: users, providers, portals and the AS. All these entitiesare connected through the AS.

The plurality of users, U₁-U_(n), are registered users and possess anaccount on the AS, and, of course, have connectivity to the AS throughany type of communication system.

The Plurality of providers and any other senders, P₁-P_(k), can sendcontent to the AS by any type of communication system or by the RMCS.

A Plurality of portals, PO₁-PO_(m), provide users with their owncontents, as well as with content obtained from the AS, which includesthe contents that were stored by the providers in the AS.

In the example of FIG. 1A, the various entities are connected via theInternet, but of course they can be connected in any other way and viaany other data network, such as Wide Area Network (WAN) or Local AreaNetwork (LAN), including the LAN of a cable television operator, ordirect broadcast satellite TV, and exploiting their digital capabilities(i.e., the use of iTV). The providers can be of any type. The users canuse any suitable communication terminal, including but not limited to,computer terminals, e.g., a PC, a cellular phone, a palm computer, etc.As will be appreciated by the skilled person, the interface used by theuser to communicate with the AS and the Internet will vary according tothe type of terminal employed. For instance, if a cellular phone isemployed, connection can be via standards, such as Wireless ApplicationProtocol (WAP), I-MODE, CHTML, XHTML, etc. The interface suitable foreach type of terminal, however, is well understood by the skilledperson, and is therefore not discussed herein in detail, for the sake ofbrevity.

Looking now at FIG. 1B, a system according to another preferredembodiment of the invention is shown, in a block diagram form. Thesystem comprises eight basic entities: users, providers, portals, Adserver, AS, Portfolio, RMCS, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) anda clients database. All these entities are connected through a datanetwork.

The plurality of users, such as an Internet user U₁, an iTV user U₂ anda cellular user U₃, are registered users and possess an account on theAS, and, of course, have connectivity to the AS through any type ofcommunication system, such as Internet, iTV, cellular etc.

The providers and any other senders, can send content to the AS by anytype of communication system or preferably by the RMCS. Each providercan have its own RMCS with which he connects to the AS, or a providermay connect to the AS via a public RMCS. Public RMCS, may be used alsoto deliver messages between registered users.

A Plurality of portals, PO₁-PO₃, provide users with their own contents,as well as with content obtained from the Ad server, which includes thecontents that were stored by the providers in the AS. The Ad server isconnected to the AS that provides it with message to display.

The RMCS is used for designing the template based message to be sent toone or more users, such as users U₁-U₃. RMCS may use any availableclients database, whether the database is local or remote. In FIG. 1, itshown, for example, that the RMCS is connected to a remote clientdatabase that is used by CRM as well. Optionally, the RMCS may beimplemented as integral part of a CRM (not shown).

The process of sending a template based message is based on a clientsdatabase, such as a CRM like database of customers, to a segment of theclients population from that database. This process is basicallycomprised of a marketing entity deciding the criteria by which a segmentof population will be chosen. Next, a template or templates of messagesare attached to that population (or parts of it). The following stage atthe RMCS is building the corresponding file that holds all that relevantinformation and sending it to the AS to start the process of showing therelevant message to the relevant surfer (i.e., to one or more usersamong users U₁-U₃) with the relevant information. According to thepreferred embodiment of the present invention, the way of displaying themessages to the users is non-intrusive and has the pre-requisite of theuser's consent to showing him the messages.

The process is initiated by a user who registers with the AS andreceives a unique identifier user name and password. The user'sregistration to companies process is schematically shown in FIG. 2 (Aand B). Each user generates and keeps a portfolio, which is a list ofadvertisers and/or other users that he wishes to receive messages from.The portfolio, such as portfolio 10, can be generated in different ways.

One way to generate a list is illustrated in FIG. 2A. The user names thecompanies from which he wishes to get messages, via the AS while surfingthe web. For example companies from which he is usually buying productsand services, or companies and brands with which he is familiar. Suchlist can include companies that are not yet registered with the ASserver. Thus, if sufficient surfers request to register with an entitythat is not registered with the AS, this information may prime the ASand such entity to meet the demand of the surfers, so that the entity isincluded in the database of the AS.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, illustratedin FIG. 2B, the user is offered to add a provider to his portfolio whilehe is surfing the provider's site.

FIG. 2B illustrates a possible interface for this purpose. The user, whois surfing the BB Airline site, is offered to add this company to hisportfolio on the AS. The interface is used to update the user'sportfolio on the AS and the user details on the providers database.

This can be done in several ways. For example, the company can storeinformation about an AS of a user (i.e., AS ID) and send it later on tothe AS using the RMCS when it initiate a message sending process.Another possible way to operate is for the company or the AS to open aform that updates both the company database and the users portfolio onthe AS.

An alternative way to operate is a system in which the companyoutsources the surfer registration process to a third party, or even tothe AS itself.

As stated, FIG. 2C is an example of a registration process and theaddition of a company using a browser plug-in. This feature can beembedded into the browser functionalities, or can be added to any otherplug-in that already exists on the user's browser, such as Yahoomassager (Yahoo! Inc.). According to the preferred embodiment of theinvention shown in FIG. 2C, an “Add Company” button 200 is providedeither as a plug-in or as a built-in function of a browser. Clickingbutton 200 causes the URL of the web site which the user is currentlysurfing to be added to his portfolio. Methods suitable to capture theURL and save it in a desired location are well appreciated by theskilled person, and are therefore not discussed herein in detail, forthe sake of brevity.

The plug-in can be a Microsoft Explorer Rebar Control, or a cellularphone plug-in, or a set-top box plug-in. The AS can allow the user togive a unique name chosen by him, to the URL address that he sends tohis portfolio. According to another preferred embodiment of theinvention, a Name Server can be provided, with which the plug-in of thebrowser may communicate. The purpose of the Name Server is to provide astandardized naming system to all URLs. If, for instance, a user decidesto click button 200 while he is in an inner page (low level) of aprovider's web-site, it may be necessary to analyze the URL so as toextract therefrom the useful part, needed to identify the provider. Forexample, assuming that the URL line has, at the time of clicking, thefollowing information:

http://patimg1.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=05953504&-homeurl=http%3A%2F%2F164.195.100.11%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO1%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526d%3DPALL%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%2Fnetahtml%2Fsrchnum.htm%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526s1%3D‘5.953.504’.WKU.%2526OS%3DPN%2F5.953.504%2526RS%3DPN%2F5.953.504&PageNum=&Rtype=&SectionNum=&idkey=4C1097DEFE97

which is the URL for the image of U.S. Pat. No. 5,953,504 at the USPTOweb site, but all that the user is interested in is adding the URL ofthe USPTO to his portfolio. There is, therefore, a need to identify theparts of the URL that can be ignored, which is a relatively simple task,thanks to the slash marks at the beginning of the URL. However, evenwhen removing all the part of the URL right of the third slash mark, theremaining URL is: http://patimg1.uspto.gov/, which is not the desiredURL. The desired URL is http://www.uspto.gov/. It is thereforeconvenient to provide a Name Server, in communication with the plug-in,which can receive the URL saved by the plug-in when button 200 of FIG.2C is clicked, and can perform on it logical operation and comparisonswith lists of providers' names, and return to the plug-in a providername or streamlined URL. Part of the operations can also be performed atthe plug-in level, such as the trimming of the saved URL. Whichoperations will be performed at the plug-in level, and which, if any, atthe Name Server level, will be determined according to the particulardesired system.

According to an embodiment of the invention, The user can add any URLthat he wished to his portfolio. The AS can open a section in a web sitethat allows Providers who own a specific URL to go and see theincreasing number of users that requested to add this specific URL totheir portfolio. When a Provider decides that it wishes to communicatewith these, anonymous yet, AS users, the company will receive from theAS a list of all the users who have asked to register with their AS IDand the proper URL page in its web site that they decided to add it totheir portfolio. The company then send through the AS a message to allthese users requesting for other details that would match the AS ID tothe customer ID in it's internal systems, but the company can also sendnon-personalized messages to these users, like product announcements,company news, etc. An alternative way can be that the AS would allow theusers to store their personal data on the Plug-in, and as soon as thecompany start to activate the database of users who have registered it,the AS will contact all their plug-ins and instruct them automaticallyto send the user data to the RMCS which will then transfer it to theproper place of the consumers contact details.

This system is an alternative way for companies, other than making usersto fill forms and request information.

According to still another preferred embodiment of the invention (notshown), it is possible to register with a service provider without beingconnected to the AS. This is simply done by a registered AS user, bygiving his personal username at the AS to any provider which he wishesto include in his portfolio, at a physical location of the provider. Anexample may be, for instance, the filing-in of a suitable form in ashop, exhibition or on a flight, or registering in a special apparatusby typing in the AS ID details, or even synchronizing a bluetooth mobiledevice pre-configured to transfer AS ID while visiting a shop. The formis then used by the service provider to add itself to the user'sportfolio. Knowledge of the user's username is treated in this case asan assurance that the user has given his permission to such addition,but the AS can further request the user to confirm each companyregistration and only then permit to add the sender to the user'sportfolio of authorized senders Of course, the user may at any time,remove any service provider or sender from his portfolio.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the AS creates forthe user a global advertising number (the “AS ID”) that the user can usein a variety of systems, in any way that he chooses, and which he cantransmit to any provider. The user can add this number to his businesscard and turn it into a new means of communicating with him. In thisway, any organization wishing to send announcements of new products orservices to the user, can do so by sending them either to his e-mailaccount, or to his Instant messaging number, or using the AS number. Aform of an AS ID can be for example “eyals&yahoo.com”, using the “&”instead of “@” in e-mail addresses. In such circumstances, a user thathas already an e-mail account or any kind of user account which ispassword protected with a portal, can be automatically generated with adefault AS ID name which will make him easier to remember. The AS thencan start receiving immediately messages for that specific user, andestablish a list of companies that have that specific user e-mailaddress, and wants to send him messages to his AS account. As soon asthe user activates his account for the first time, he will see a list ofcompanies that want to send him messages via the AS. The user can changehis AS ID to be very different from his e-mail address, so thatcompanies that know his AD ID will not be able to send him unsolicitede-mail messages, but still the AS can put for user confirmation anyrequest to send messages from companies knowing his e-mail address, andthat try to use the AS ID with change of the separator (& replacing @,in this example).

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention an ISP (InternetService Provider) can transfer to the AS the messages that are sent tohis e-mail account users in a format to be presented by the AS. The ISPwill then share with the AS revenues that are generated from messagespresentation.

The personal list is called, in the examples of this specification,“iWant2C” (I want to see) list (hereinafter also referred to as “thelist”, or “the user's list”).

Returning now to FIG. 2A, the surfer is provided with a list of possibleservices. In the example shown, the user stands on “Air Line”, and canselect from a list of available airlines (not shown). Of course, if theuser stands on another type of provider, e.g., “Bank”, or “Coffee Shop”,the list of relevant companies will be shown to him. In this case theuser has selected BB Airlines, and since, in this example, the detailsof this airline are available in the AS since the company was alreadyregister to the AS, they are automatically added to Company Name windowand to the URL window, and an image related to it is displayed. The usercan then add it to its list by pressing the “Add to iWant2C List”button. Alternatively, the user may deselect this Provider by hittingthe “Clear” button. The user may also check his list by hitting the “Goto My iWant2C List” button, and may obtain help on various problemsthrough the “Help” button.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the user can putinto his list of authorized senders any company identification (i.e.,COMPANY ID) or other AS ID from which he wishes to receive messages. Inthis way, if the AS is requesting user confirmation of each new senderwho wants to transfer messages to that specific user, the AS will thenautomatically transfer the name authorized by the user into the senderslist without need for another confirmation. In this way, users canreceive requests by e-mail from their friends or companies to authorizethem, do so, following which the friends can immediately send himmessages.

The user's portfolio is shown in FIG. 3 for a specific user, accordingto a particular preferred embodiment of the invention. The portfolio(displayed on a page 300 of the user's web browser) shows the Provider'sidentity (indicated in FIG. 3 as “Sender”), the number of banners or anyother type of message, e.g., advertisement movies, existing for eachspecific Provider and, in this particular embodiment of the invention, apriority. The priority can be set by the user. It is a measure of thepreference of the user toward a specific Provider or any sender, and itdetermines that the user is interested to see this provider regardlessof the amount of money that the provider offered for this message. TheAS can determine how many priority options he wants to give to the user,if any. Without any priority being given by the AS, or any prioritybeing marked by the user, the banners will be scheduled according to theprices offered by the providers or other mechanism the AS chooses. Bypressing button 301 (“Add More”) the user is transferred to the page ofFIG. 2A, where he can add more Providers. Of course, the form of theuser's portfolio is not limited to that exemplified herein, or to anyother particular form, and many different forms of portfolio can bedesigned by the AS, to be more friendly or otherwise more desirable tothe user.

The AS can also give the user the option to see the history of hismessages, and it can give the user the option of naming differentdevices to which the user wishes to forward his messages. For example,if the user is surfing from a computer at home, a computer at work, acable television at home, a mobile device (e.g., a mobile phone), theuser can assign a different name to each device. The user can remotelycontrol from his account the messages sent to different devices, andwhen changing a device (e.g., leaving work) he may prevent the devicefrom receiving messages for a predetermined period of time, although itmight still have the AS identity (cookie, plug-in, etc).

As stated, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention theconsumer can delete any provider from the providers list at will. Thisprocedure can be effected in any suitable way, and different ASs maychoose to use different unsubscribe or removal schemes. For instance,removal from the user's portfolio may block the forwarding of messagesto the user, or may delete the association of the user with a giveservice provider altogether. The AS can alert the provider that the userhas deleted his name from his portfolio, and the provider can use thisinformation as a sign that the user is dissatisfied with the service.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the user can stateto each provider whether he allows the provider to deliver third partiesmessages to him. The providers may want to send to the user messages andoffers of third parties that are their suppliers or partners, and the AScan let the user decide whether he allows the provider to do so. Theprovider will, of course, offer the user benefits to cause him to agreeto the receipt of such third parties messages. Of course, the user mayalso block such options.

According to the invention, the user participates in the advertisingprocess by himself and, in fact, is in command of the process, since hewill not see via the AS system messages originating from any advertisersthat he has not chosen to see. This participation of the user isrewarded with benefits by the advertisers who provide different benefitsto the user and even may pay for sending the messages, but it also helpsthe portal to sell the advertising space at higher prices, because auser that has not requested that personal messages be delivered to himusing this communication channel via the AS, will be presented by theportal with other, non-specific advertisements, sold at lower prices.The AS system may be operated by a portal like Yahoo, AOL, Lycos, or byan advertising network on behalf of the portals. According to theparticular embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the benefits the user obtainadds-up in the “Your Balance” window 302, whence they can be credited into account in any of the providers, or can be transferred to any otherlocation selected by the user, by pushing the “Transfer” button 303.Benefits may be credits of any kind, such as “points” in any commercialscheme, or any other kind of award such as free access to contentprovided by a portal, or movies (fully or partly free) by aVideo-on-Demand provider.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the provider canpay a fixed amount for all the messages that he sends through the AS,but he can add “content points” for each user according with his valueto the company. This content points can be bought from the AS and shownto the user, and this is a convenient way to enhance his relationshipwith, and loyalty to the company.

One of the possible processes involving payment of money, according toone preferred embodiment of the invention, is schematically illustratedin the flow-sheet of FIG. 4. A Provider that wishes to advertise submitsto the AS the banner(s) as well as a payment for them (Step 401). Anillustrative list of banners is shown in FIG. 5, which lists for eachProvider (Company) a Banner No., which is an identification number for agiven banner, the price to be paid by the Provider for each display ofthe banner to a surfer, and start and end dates, i.e., the date afterwhich the banner will start being sent to the users, and the date afterwhich the banner will be discarded from the AS database, and the numberof desired distributions for each banner. The AS delivers the banner toa plurality of its users, either actively or passively (e.g., in thecase of a portal, it pulls the banner from the AS server), according tothe priorities determined for a specific user, as explained above (Step402), and based on any other relevant criterion for a given system.Thus, a user who is not interested in viewing a banner of a givensupplier will not see it through the AS system, though he might beexposed to banners of this specific provider that will be delivered inother, conventional advertising approaches used by the portal. When thesurfer sees a given banner the surfer, the portal and the AS arecredited the relevant amount according to a predefined criteria, asshown in FIG. 5, and the credited sums add up as shown at 302 in FIG. 3.The AS further subtracts from the payment made by the Provider (or fromthe budget defined by it) any sum payable to it (Step 404). Thus the ASacts also as a bookkeeper for the Provider. After each payment the ASchecks whether all the budget of the provider for the given banner hasbeen spent (Step 405). In the negative case, the AS continues to showthe banner to appropriate users. If the entire budget has been spent,the AS terminates the use of the specific banner. The service providermay also limit his message sending process on a “budget per person”basis, e.g., may limit the benefits he provides to a single user. Ofcourse, the AS is capable depending on the portal reporting tools, ofproviding the provider with a precise report on the number and theidentity of the users who have seen its banner, and the number of timesit has been shown to them. Thus, for example, the Provider knows exactlyto which use the benefits he provided has been put.

The mechanism according to which the various banners are shown to theuser will now be explained, using the following example. A registereduser of a certain AS reached a certain media broadcaster that isconnected to that AS network (i.e. portal or a content provider). If theportal chooses to check the availability of personal messages to thisuser, it creates a connection to the AS server. The AS server, accordingto a preferred embodiment of the invention, is familiar with the messagesenders from which the user requested to see messages.

The AS comprises a list of parameters, according to a set of rulesagreed between it and the portal. This list of parameters can containthe total number of personal messages for that specific user, the totalvalue of such messages, the number of user-to-user messages, themessages that bear no price (messages could bear no price if the ASallowed it, for example, if they are promotional messages, oruser-to-user messages etc.) and the priority defined by the user for aspecific provider.

The portal or an AD Network serving banners to this portal can decide toaccept the list of banners, to reject it totally and to show bannersfrom other sources, or to renegotiate on the fly some of the parametersoffered by the AS, for example refusing to show the free messages, andtaking only paid messages.

The AS assumes the negotiation with the portal succeeded, and needs nowto serve the portal with messages. At this time, the AS can checkqueuing messages, for instance as shown in FIG. 5, and start deliveringit one by one, or all the queuing messages together. As will be apparentfrom the above description, the exact procedure depends from the outcomeof the negotiation of the AS with the portal, and the protocol uponwhich they agreed. Assuming that the AS transferred all the banners tothe portal AD server, the AS will wait for a notice containinginformation relative to which of the banners have been served to theconsumer. The portal sends the information concerning the served bannersto the AS, and the AS can then execute a full billing procedure.

The system of the invention can also be used to provide communicationbetween two or more users over the Internet. This can be done throughthe AS server used for advertisement purposes described above, orindependently. The personal messages between users can be partlysponsored and divided between the message sponsor and the messagesender, and it doesn't have to include a link like banners usually have,or it can have a link to the sponsor web site. Personal messages canhave a small print on it “sent by AS 123456 member”, and with eachforwarding of a message between subscribers, the AS can change thesender's name, so that the new sender identity will be embedded in themessage. As will be apparent to the skilled person, a system thatenables users to put personal banners in a space that was used foradvertising purposes only, creates a more close relation of users to aweb site, and enhances attention of the users to the advertising space.Additionally, as explained, this creates a new means of communicationbetween two surfers that is application or site independent. The skilledperson will thus easily appreciate these unique advantages of theinvention.

In order to permit communication between surfers, a user's and asender's interface must be prepared, similar to that explained withreference to FIGS. 2C, 3 and 7. Each sender interface is built todeliver messages to any registered surfer via the AS. The surfer thatreceives a message can refuse to accept messages from this specificsender, temporary or permanently.

The user can send messages using a web browser, or other desktopapplication or browser extensions. The user application that sends themessages can be connected to an interface on the AS, that enables aninexperienced surfer to edit and create high quality messages. Examplesfor these applications are, e.g., a banner editor, a video editingsoftware, a 3D animation editor, a set of ready made banners.

In the right frame of FIG. 7 there is shown an example of a messagesender list. The sender can edit this list by typing in his user ID inthe AS system, or by registering users in his home page on the Internet.The user receiving the message list can refuse to be included in thelist of any sender.

FIG. 6 shows three examples of messages. In FIG. 6A a “Happy BirthdayCard” is shown, which also includes a link, 601, to a present (which isreached through a given URL). FIG. 6B is a simple communicationnotifying the recipient that tickets have been bought, and FIG. 6Ccontains a query, 602, that can be answered by clicking on the link.

A more flexible e-mail messaging option is shown in FIG. 6D. The message(banner) sent to the user is a link to an e-mail message that can beaccessed by keying-in the appropriate username and password. The e-mailmessage may have been generated on the AS system, or may be a messageoriginating from any other source, such as an e-mail message from aregular e-mail Internet address, or a voice or text message from acellular phone. These can be stored under the user's details in the ASsystem, and accessed through the banner of FIG. 6D.

Messages of the type shown above can be sent only by and to registeredusers in the AS system. A user will decide who are the persons (orentities) from which he is willing to receive messages, and will includethem in his portfolio. This is illustrated in FIG. 7. In the left-handside of FIG. 7 it is shown a page from Nir Aharon's Home page, in whichfriends can register him to their portfolio. The resulting list is shownin the right window of FIG. 7. Nir Aharon may now send messages over theAS system to every friend who has registered in his portfolio, and anyfriend or member the AS user ID details of whom are known to him.

In many instances, more than one person surf from the same computer athome or at work. According to a preferred embodiment of the inventionthe user is able to notify the AS the current identity of the person whois surfing from a computer at a given time. The notification can beeffected in any suitable way, e.g., by an external client, and embeddedsource or subroutines, by ActiveX controls, or by any other suitablebrowser plug-in or components, or by instructions send from a set-topbox to an AS sever of a cable operator. The AS will then change themessages appearance according to the portfolio of the person surfing thecomputer or watching television. This situation is illustrated in FIG. 8and in part of FIG. 2C. In FIG. 8 an example is shown of a surfer whoswitches the active user from the message itself by HTML, script, or anyother technology. In FIG. 2C an example is shown of a surfer whoswitches the active user by a desktop application 201, which, forexample, could be a plug-in. According to a preferred embodiment of theinvention the user is able to save the message he received for futureretrieval, and is also able to forward the message to other users on hisportfolio. This is done by the same technology described above. The“Send To” and “Save AD” boxes, indicated at 90 in FIG. 9, can easily bemade to appear, e.g., by clicking on the corner of the banner, or usinga plug-in such as that illustrated in FIG. 2C. The banner can further betransmitted together with a note directed to one or more additionalusers, as shown at 91 in the figure. As will be appreciated by theskilled person, this permits to propagate the banner and to keep itviable on the net for a much longer period of time.

The invention is by no means limited to the use through any particularInternet connection system or terminal. According to a preferredembodiment of the invention the user is recognized by the AS systemusing a cookie saved on his terminal. However, a user may also accessthe system from another terminal, such as a public terminal. In thiscase, the user logs-in into his portfolio, and requests that the browserfrom which he is temporarily surfing be marked for a limited period oftime (e.g., 2 hours). Thus, a “temporary cookie” (i.e., a cookie with aexpiration date) is stored on the terminal, which is no longer validafter the given time, In this way, any non-authorized user accessing theterminal at a later time will not see the user's messages. Of course,the user may also void the cookie by actively logging-out of the system.According to this preferred embodiment of the invention, personalmessages can follow a subscriber wherever he is located in the world.The skilled person will easily recognize the importance of this optionto traveling surfers.

The person to person communication system must not necessarily beconnected to an advertising messaging system, and it may exist as astand alone system. For instance, a publisher (Portal) may provide sucha system free of charge, in order to make users to pay attention to theadvertising space. In this case the message senders will not necessarilybe charged with money, or will be charged only after sending a certainamount of banners. A number of publishers can join and use this ASsystem, as described above, in order to provide a benefit to the usersof this group of portals.

As will be appreciated by the skilled person this system providescapabilities never before obtainable in the Internet, and greatlyenhances the usefulness of the World Wide Web as a convenient means ofcommunication between individuals.

The invention permits to obtain other important advantages, and toprovide useful systems. One example of such a system is the RMCS. Thisserver functionality allows a corporation to carry out a rich mediamessage sending using various advertising spaces in digital devices, viathe AS. The RMCS functionalities described below can be:

-   -   1) divided into different components spread all over the        company's systems, and    -   2) it can be concentrated in stand-alone computer software and        hardware at the company location, connected to its operational        databases and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, or    -   3) it can be given as an Application Service Provider (ASP)        service (which are third parties entities that manage and        distribute services to registered surfers). These        functionalities can be accessed via any terminal connected to        the Internet or other suitable WAN.

When operating in this system, the company collects from the user his ASID, and updates his user account in its internal systems, with thatnumber. This number is equivalent to the customer E-mail address,cellular phone number etc. This information can be sent to the RMCS thatchecks with the AS if such user exists, or it can be sent to otherapplications that support the company web site. (Such applications fromcompanies like BroadVision Inc., Vingette, etc.)

Upon its decision to initiate a message sending process, and to sendmessages to customers, the company will sort the consumer participatingin that sending process, defining queries by any behavioral action orpurchase activity stored with respect to the consumers in the companydatabase.

Personalized messages with individual parameters presented inadvertising space is obtained as follows:

At the company side, the company has to generate one or more data files,such as an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) data file, coupled with atemplate or set of templates marked with the exact places the datashould be integrated for every specified user.

The RMCS keeps the content of the template files together with the datafile, the content of these files comprises the connection between eachcustomer and the relevant template. These files are then sent to the ASto be rendered at the proper time when the need for presenting a messagebased on that information to a specific customer.

The relaying of the messages is rendering all the messages after thedata was constructed in the RMCS, hence creating a number of messagesequivalent to the sum of the different templates times the number ofcustomer per each template. For example, three different templates forone hundred customer, where fifty of them are destined to view all thetemplates, twenty five more will view only two templates, and theremaining twenty five will view only one template. In total there willbe: 3*50+25*2+25*1=225 different personalized messages. These readymessages will then be sent to the AS to be displayed at the proper timeto a specific customer.

Whenever a Portal, such as PO₁ informs the AS that it is looking for amessage for a specific AS user, the message is either generated on thefly according to the information received from the data file and thetemplate or pulled from the ready made pool, and is provided to the ADServer, or to the user directly if the AD Server makes a redirection ofthe user request for advertisement.

In order to create the company's messages sending process data, and totransfer it into a database of the AS, as a first step the persondefining the messages sending process, builds the query, based on thecompany's database, and user behavior analysis (i.e. creating populationsegments), and inserts the result of this query (i.e. the customerspopulation) through the RMCS API into the set of tables on the company'slocal server, whence it is sent to the AS.

An alternative method to send messages definitions is to initialize andmanage the messages sending process through the RMCS, installed within aweb site of the AS (i.e., ASP model).

Since both methods of sending messages require the particular predefinedformat for template based message sending (e.g., the XML file format),the company, that sends its message content data through the AS siteshould be able to create all the necessary data in the required format.This requires receiving all the relevant messages sending process datafrom the company's database and/or from an additional database, such asan advertising agency, and thereafter transferring this information tothe AS, by a secure protocol. In general, security precautions arealways taken when operating according to the invention, but these areconventional measures that are known in the art and, therefore, are notdiscussed herein in detail.

The RMCS may requests several types of data, such as the following:

-   -   Messages sending process Identifier and Description, filled by        the company for process consistency.    -   AS IDs—the messages sending process's targeted population. Each        messages sending process determines to which population (AS ID        values) it is assigned. The RCMS apparatus supports the creation        of the segments, based on predetermined groups (fields of        interests, customer's “worth”, income, age, sex, etc.).    -   Campaign Message Template—is a messages sending process message,        designed by the AD Agency to be assigned to the targeted        population. This can be a list of different Templates.    -   A Personalization flag that states whether the messages sending        process message needs to be personalized. (If it equals “FALSE”,        it is a general message that does not need to be personalized).    -   The Media Type and Technology. There are several media types for        the advertising implementation that the AS system supports:        cellular phone, PC and iTV. (i.e., set-top-box). This        information is essential for the message's generator (which will        be discussed later).    -   The Messages sending process Start Date—is a date when the        messages sending process should begin.    -   The Messages sending process Expiration Date—is the last date        through which the messages sending process runs.    -   The Maximal Exposure Numbers—are the maximum number of the        exposures that may be billed. If it comes prior to the        expiration date for all the targeted population, the messages        sending process stops.    -   The Messages sending process Rates, which can differ according        to the viewing method, period of time, various rates, different        users (or defined segments) and different portals.    -   The Minimal Time Difference—i.e. the time between the showing of        different ads, transmitted to the user by a portal.    -   The Service Area based Advertisement Pattern—i.e. the particular        model for showing the advertisements, according to the targeted        user's geographical location.    -   The Time based Advertisements Pattern—i.e. the time period for        the transmission of targeted advertisements.    -   Advertisement Type—it consolidates all kinds of exposures        (“click through”, “view”, “download”, “survey banners” etc.) and        allows rating them according to the pattern. If it is a “survey”        type banner, it also contains Survey Code and Survey Value        (which will be discussed later).

According to an embodiment of the invention, the RMCS may decodes thepre-received layout definition in order to automate the dynamicinsertion of the related information, for example, the username, theuser's age, etc., into the pre-prepared template, in a supported format,such as Graphic Interchange Format (GIF), Motion Picture Experts Group(MPEG), Flash (of Macromedia Inc.), Short Message Service (SMS) etc. Forexample, the template layout for the image format can be defined as thefollowing:

The layout structure of the template contains the essential informationof the attributes describing where the relevant data will “be pasted”into the final advertisement:

-   -   Positions of the text, relative to the whole layout (x,y,z        positions) or maximum length.    -   Content of the text (for example, username, age, etc.) that        should be provided within population file information.    -   Font of the text.

The message's generator, in the RMCS, determines what will be inserted,where it will be inserted etc. It refers to the different media typesand the technological solutions for each of the mentioned types. Forinstance, there are several generators for the different types of thecellular phone, according to the application kind, such as WAP, I-modeand other technologies. In practice, the message generator consolidatesthe above messages sending process characteristics with the Publisherdemands to further real time messages sending process implementation. Itmight also contain only an XML file with the data coupled with atemplate file like in the instance of Flash based messages where noengine for creation is necessary.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the RMCS mayalso operate as a customer satisfaction and opinion measurement tools.In this embodiment, a customer may reply (to what he has been asked forfrom the RMCS) from his interface (e.g., a PC, a TV remote controletc.), and still remains in the same web pages or television program.The RMCS receives the answers and transform answers into a report (e.g.graph) for managerial purposes, and updates the user account with hisanswers. The company is able to execute another messages sending processthat relies on answers the customer previously answered. For example:customer ‘A’ may be asked, “What do you think of This Cellular Phone?”,and his answer will be added to his customer account at the companydatabase.

If a company has its own CRM system, its messages sending processmanager may use the data from the CRM system to create a template basedmessage process and launch it via the AS through the RMCS installed onits local server. All the relevant resulting logs from the messagessending process will be relayed back to the CRM system for furtheranalysis. These logs can contain messages sending process data, e.g.surveys to which the user responds, by clicking a choice in a multipleanswer selection type of question, number of exposures, time of exposureetc.

Parameters will be sent from the AS though the RMCS back into theprovider's CRM system, for instance:

-   -   Messages sending process Identifier and Description—the        company's primary description of the messages sending process.    -   Template(s) Identifier—the company's template(s) identifier(s).    -   AS ID—the targeted user identifier.    -   Advertisement Type—an exposure type (in this case, “survey        banner”—a form of a banner with a multiple answer choice from        where the surfer will choose one answer, and that choice will be        kept as part of the messages sending process data).    -   Response Code—the choice identifier.    -   Response Value—the value, chosen by the surfer (targeted user).

According to another further embodiment of the present invention, thesystem may have an additional component that will operate as a customerdefection sensitivity engine. This component can be implemented on theAS and on the RMCS, and it may fulfill a combined solution to alert acompany that a customer is dissatisfied and is not willing to receivemessages from it any more. The user will mark the company on hisportfolio with “Block Sender” or “Delete Company”, and the AS will sendto the RMCS an alert indicating the customer AS ID. The RCMS will matchthe AS ID to the company ID and will freeze or delete the customer ASID.

Following such action, the RMCS will search for other automaticprocedures defined for that customer segment. For example, “IF The‘Customer ID’ ‘annual purchases’ are higher than 1500USD, then alertcustomer service clerk D (e.g., by e-mail)”.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a third-partyjoint ventures may also use the RMCS for sending messages. This optionalcapability of the RMCS is used in order to enable partners and suppliersof the company to execute messages sending processes via the AS tocustomers, following any interaction with the company.

The RMCS will allow queries to limited data on the company database,following a messages sending process via the AS. For example: A Hotelchain “Best Resorts” cooperating with an international Airline willpresent the following query to the RMCS “All passengers traveling toGermany” and “from 1/8/2001 to 15/9/2001” and “first Class” And have “ASID”. The result will be for example “1198 customers”. The RMCS willstore a file with the AS ID numbers in a separate file “Best ResortsHotels offer for 8-9/2001 Travelers to Germany”. The RMCS will send thisfile with the proper advertisement given by Best Resorts to the AS. Athird party can cover the messages sending process payment, and the RMCSfile sent to the AS will reflect it in the appropriate place. Surferswill be offered the chance to pre-block this option when adding acompany.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention anyadvertiser who does not have access to a customer's database willrequest from another entity, which does have access to the data base, toperform a “manual” selection of data for a given messages sendingprocess. The advertiser can make its request by e-mail and the messageswill be forwarded on the basis of the request.

While embodiments of the invention have been described by way ofillustration, it will be understood that the invention can be carriedout by persons skilled in the art with many modifications, variationsand adaptations, without departing from its spirit or exceeding thescope of the claims.

1. A method for messaging over a data network, comprising the steps of: a) providing an Administration Server (AS) in which user portfolios are stored, said AS being in communication with a terminal belonging to a user; b) allowing every registered user that browses a portal or a web site over said data network, to generate and update one or more user portfolio(s) containing information relative to Providers or individuals, messages of whom the user is willing to view; and c) allowing specific users to communicate with other specific users or specific Providers on a user-to-user communication basis, by sending messages directly from the user browser and displaying personalized or different messages to one or more users on their terminals and according to the information contained in their user portfolio, wherein said messages are displayed within a space of a web page belonging to said portal or web site, in which banners are normally displayed or destined to be displayed without changing the view of the user browser, wherein instead of the banner, each user sees a personal message, adapted to him according to said user-to-user communication basis.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein whenever the messages have a commercial value, further comprising: a) providing benefit(s) to the user for messages displayed to him; and b) debiting the Provider for messages displayed to said one or more users.
 3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: a) providing one or more message templates to an additional server; b) selecting one or more customer from a data base, to which the templates should be sent; c) generating one or more messages by attaching one or more templates to said selected one or more customer; and d) transferring said one or more generated messages to the AS, from which said messages should be sent to one or more selected customer.
 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the data base is a local or remote client data base.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data network is the Internet.
 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information contained in the user's portfolio comprises an indication of a viewing priority for each Provider.
 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the message comprises an advertisement.
 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the terminal is a device with Internet connectivity or with any other digital media connectivity.
 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the terminal is selected from a PC, a hand-held device and a cellular telephone.
 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the advertisement is in a form that can be viewed on a graphical, textual or video application which enables to view messages on the Internet.
 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the advertisement is in a form that can be viewed on a web browser page.
 12. The method according to claim 11, comprising attaching to messages to be displayed start and end dates before and after which the message cannot be displayed.
 13. The method according to claim 12, comprising attaching to messages to be displayed differential values for specific customers or groups of customers.
 14. A system for messaging over a data network, particularly the Internet, comprising: a) an Administration Server (AS) provided with storage means in which user portfolios are stored; b) a terminal belonging to a user, said terminal being in communication with said AS; c) means for allowing every registered user that browses a portal or a web site over said data network, to generate and update user portfolios containing information relative to the Providers and the individuals of which the user is willing to receive their messages while exposed to digital media; and d) display means associated with the user's terminal, for sending messages directly from the user browser and displaying personalized or different messages to said one or more users said messages according to the information contained in the user portfolio, wherein said messages are displayed within a space of a web page belonging to said portal or web site, in which banners are normally displayed or destined to be displayed without changing the view of the user browser, wherein instead of the banner, each user sees a personal message, adapted to him according to said user-to-user communication basis.
 15. The system according to claim 14, wherein whenever the messages displayed have a commercial value, further comprising: a) means for providing benefit(s) to the user for said messages displayed to him; and b) means for debiting the Provider for said messages displayed to said one or more users.
 16. The system according to claim 14, further comprising an additional server, said additional server comprising means for generating messages.
 17. A method for communicating between two or more users of a data network, particularly of the Internet, comprising the steps of: a) providing an Administration Server (AS) in which user portfolios are stored, said AS being in communication with a terminal belonging to a user; b) allowing every registered user that browses a portal or a web site over said data network, to generate and update a user portfolio containing information relative to surfers the messages originating from whom or which the user is wiling to view; and c) allowing specific users to communicate with other specific users or specific Providers on a user-to-user communication basis, by sending messages directly from the user browser and displaying personalized or different messages to one or more users on their terminal said messages according to the information contained in the user portfolio, wherein said messages are displayed within a space of a web page belonging to said portal or web site, in which banners are normally displayed or destined to be displayed without changing the view of the user browser, wherein instead of the banner, each user sees a personal message, adapted to him according to said user-to-user communication basis.
 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the message is in a form that can be viewed on a graphical or textual application which enables to view messages on the Internet.
 19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the message is in a form that can be viewed on a web browser.
 20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the user is recognized by saving a cookie on his terminal.
 21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the user accesses the AS system from a temporary terminal, such as a public terminal, in which the user logs-in into his portfolio, and requests that the browser from which he is temporarily surfing be identified as belonging to him for a limited period of time, whereby a “temporary cookie” is stored on said temporary terminal.
 22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the user voids the cookie by actively logging-out of the system.
 23. The system according to claim 15, comprising means for notifying the AS of a current identity of the person who is surfing from a computer at a given time.
 24. The system according to claim 23, wherein the means for notifying the AS comprise one or more of an external client, and embedded source or subroutines, ActiveX controls, or suitable browser plug-ins or components.
 25. The system according to claim 24, which is a stand alone person-to-person communication system, which is not connected to an advertising messaging system.
 26. The method according to claim 1, wherein the order or the frequency in which messages are displayed to a user are determined by the user himself.
 27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the user determines the order or frequency by indicating a preference in his portfolio.
 28. A method for messaging over a data network, comprising the steps of: a) allowing every registered user that browses a portal or a web site over said data network, to generate and update one or more user portfolio(s) containing information relative to Providers or individuals the messages of which the user is willing to view; and b) allowing specific users to communicate with other specific users or specific Providers on a user-to-user communication basis, by sending messages directly from the user browser and displaying personalized or different messages to one or more users on their terminal messages according to the information contained in the user portfolio, wherein said messages are displayed in a space of a web page belonging to said portal or web site, in which banners are normally displayed or destined to be displayed without changing the view of the user browser, and optionally providing benefit(s) to the user for viewing said messages.
 29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the user generation or the update of the user's portfolio is effected via the user's browser.
 30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the user generation or the update of the user's portfolio is carried out by a plug-in of the browser.
 31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the generation or the update of the user's portfolio is carried out by functionality built-in the browser.
 32. The method according to claim 28, wherein the user's portfolio is stored in a user's browser or in a location accessible by it.
 33. The method according to claim 28, wherein the user's portfolio is stored at a portal level.
 34. The method according to claim 28, wherein the message is a message received by a recipient and forwarded to one or more additional recipient(s). 